so simple. the bulb wires just fit above and below the battery. the little switch just pinches the wires to the battery. open, cut wires to match the lengths of the old bulb, long on top positive, gets bent at a little angle up, short on bottom negative. close. done.

Has anyone had any luck with a good quality 6v battery?
I'm looking for something lighter than a auto or deep cycle battery, but with more amp hours than a bunch of D batteries grouped together.
Preferably something rechargeable. It can be heavier and bigger than a bunch of D's, but not as huge and heavy as a car battery.

It would probably help if I give a little bit of info on the plan. We are buying a schwinn trike, that has a little basket on the back, and we'd like to light the hell out of it.
I have a couple of those 'cold cathode' lights that you can install inside your PC. They are super bright, and pretty cheap, but have a pretty high power draw. I'm thinking a of mid sized 6v battery, or maybe 2 in parallel. So, you can see why we're thinking a full blown 6v Trojan T105 might be a little too heavy, but something between that and a bunch of D's.

Why don't ya stick your head in that hole and find out? ~piehole
Plan for the worst, expect the best. Make the most out of it under any conditions. If you cannot do that you will never enjoy yourself. ~CrispyDave

Not sure about 6v, but I have found lots of light portable 12v rechargeable power sources. You can find them down to 1 or 2 lbs; some even have on-off switches on the power pack. I saw lots on ebay & picked up one for my purposes at a local electrical supplier. Most of these require a little DIY know-how to get the right connectors attached so you can can have the same plugs to power your lights & for charging. Do the Google search for "rechargeable 6V battery pack" to start exploring options.

"Those who danced were thought quite insane by those who did not hear the music"

For most cold cathodes, you'll want 12V power. I think the current draw for most cold cathode lights (12") is about 350mA each. For that kind of thing, maybe you can get away with a smaller sealed lead acid battery such as this 12V 4AH SLA? They weigh about 3 pounds each. The 7.2AH variety is less than 5 pounds. It ain't no 220AH pack, but then it doesn't cost or weigh as much either.

Otherwise, you might need to drop more money on those NiMH packs (watch out, some of those are NiCds) or some Alkalines. They're pretty expensive, but still quite a bit lighter. Even the D-cells might be fine. I think some Alkalines are rated for 12AH at roughly 350mA drain.

(those pages above I've linked to are not endorsements)

"The essence of tyranny is not iron law. It is capricious law." -- Christopher Hitchens

BBadger wrote:For most cold cathodes, you'll want 12V power. I think the current draw for most cold cathode lights (12") is about 350mA each. For that kind of thing, maybe you can get away with a smaller sealed lead acid battery such as this 12V 4AH SLA? They weigh about 3 pounds each. The 7.2AH variety

I wish it were 12vdc, that would be too easy! But 6vdc isn't too odd ball or rare either.
If it didn't say 6vdc right on the little optional inverter they come with, I would assume that it were 12vdc too. Though, what it didn't say was what the power draw was, so the 350mA is pretty helpful!

Sadly, we weren't quick enough to pick up the trike. We're still hunting for one though, so this is all very helpful info!

Why don't ya stick your head in that hole and find out? ~piehole
Plan for the worst, expect the best. Make the most out of it under any conditions. If you cannot do that you will never enjoy yourself. ~CrispyDave

A guy at our camp had some of those along with a chair that would rumble at those frequencies. It was actually very cool, and I'm convinced that it does work. The goggles should be synched with binaural music or sound for the full effect, and you can also use the audio without the goggles to get entranced.

"The essence of tyranny is not iron law. It is capricious law." -- Christopher Hitchens

Great deal alert! For those of you looking to decorate a bike for the first time...

Go to Costco, they are selling these kits called something like "Meon Bike Lights," they contain 10 feet of EL-wire with a blink/on driver and two sets of LED spokelights... for the amazing price of $34.99 or so! Ridiculous deal, and a very cheap and easy way to dip your feet into bike lighting!

Ano wrote:Great deal alert! For those of you looking to decorate a bike for the first time...

Go to Costco, they are selling these kits called something like "Meon Bike Lights," they contain 10 feet of EL-wire with a blink/on driver and two sets of LED spokelights... for the amazing price of $34.99 or so! Ridiculous deal, and a very cheap and easy way to dip your feet into bike lighting!

Er, it's not just the El-wire. I know that 10 feet for $35 is a ripoff. However, I dare you to find me a set of LED spokelights that can make a multitude of designs, a complete set, for less than $40. Monkeylights are the cheapest alternative that I know of, although there is that one kit called SpokePOV(?) that requires you to do a lot of soldering. I've seen these costco spokelights in action, and they look good, and they work at low speeds (mine look good at around 8mph which is a good playa cruising speed), and they're pretty tough (survived getting rained and hailed on for two hours). Again, for $35, EL wire + spokelights is not a bad deal whatsoever, especially for what these do.

Just a few bad experiences with this stuff on the playa this year that I want to share so hopefully others can learn from.

EL wire - I have a playa coat wired with EL wire and last year it worked great. This year the connecting wires (between the driver and the EL wire) seem to have dry rotted over time. First the wires sheared off at the driver. I spliced in a new driver, and within a day the wires sheared off at the plug. Lesson Learned - check the connection wires before heading to the playa - they are more fragile than the EL wire itself and much easier to repair at home.

Extreme Glow Products - As many have noted in this thread they have a nice selection at very reasonable prices. I picked up a nice variety of them and approximately half of the products I bought from them failed on the playa. Those that did fail I see are no longer in their product line, those that didn't fail performed well and still work well. Problems ranged from overheating, a switch falling apart, to batteries that don't seat properly. Lesson Learned - Test them extensively before bringing to the playa.

Savannah: I don't know what it is, but no thread here escapes alive. You'll get 1 or 2 real answers at minimum, occasionally 10 or 12, and then we flog it until it's unrecognizable and you can't get your deposit back.

I just happened to be in the large Swedish furniture and home item store IKE@. They are gearing up for <hristmasTM. And they have $3 10 light 2xAA LED strings, also in their catalog, as well as some other line powered lights. Didn't know the Swedes were such ravers! Given everything is made in <hina, wouldn't be surprised other stores might have similar. It's never to early to prepare for the next burn.

Drawingablank wrote:Extreme Glow Products - As many have noted in this thread they have a nice selection at very reasonable prices. I picked up a nice variety of them and approximately half of the products I bought from them failed on the playa. Those that did fail I see are no longer in their product line, those that didn't fail performed well and still work well. Problems ranged from overheating, a switch falling apart, to batteries that don't seat properly. Lesson Learned - Test them extensively before bringing to the playa.

It was odd... I tested some of the products before going to the playa and they worked, then at BM they did not, and when I returned I tested them again and they DID work. Pissed me off.

"The essence of tyranny is not iron law. It is capricious law." -- Christopher Hitchens

Drawingablank wrote:Extreme Glow Products - As many have noted in this thread they have a nice selection at very reasonable prices. I picked up a nice variety of them and approximately half of the products I bought from them failed on the playa. Those that did fail I see are no longer in their product line, those that didn't fail performed well and still work well. Problems ranged from overheating, a switch falling apart, to batteries that don't seat properly. Lesson Learned - Test them extensively before bringing to the playa.

It was odd... I tested some of the products before going to the playa and they worked, then at BM they did not, and when I returned I tested them again and they DID work. Pissed me off.

Yes, I had that with a few items such as their electric glow sticks. When I took them apart and reassemled them it turns out the batteries just needed to be reseated. I also found that they when they stop working a sharp rap against my hand will get them to relight. I think the battery door does not hold the batteries securely enough - perhaps adding a thin piece of foam to the battery door will correct it. I am considering picking up some Flowtoys to use for light sticks as they are much higher quality although about 20.00 each.

When packing some BM stuff yesterday, I also noticed that some of their batteries were starting to rust / corrode. The playa dust probably has a negative effect on the lights that don't have a relatively tightly sealed compartment.

No doubt, but there are some things that are difficult to make (such as light sticks) and for the other things there are only so many hours in a day. I work 10-12 hours a day 6 days a week, so I have to pick and choose what to make and what to purchase.

Savannah: I don't know what it is, but no thread here escapes alive. You'll get 1 or 2 real answers at minimum, occasionally 10 or 12, and then we flog it until it's unrecognizable and you can't get your deposit back.

I have one electric glowstick I've been very happy with and will probably buy more for next burn - the Streetlight Max.

Well made with a durable clear acrylic case. Additionally, aftermarket sleeves for more protection if poi spinning are available for 5.00.
It runs on a single AAA alkaline or rechargable battery that is easy to change.
It is very bright.
Has several blink modes as well as a steady on mode.
Available in solid colors, multicolors, and RGB.
Affordable at 8.00 for standard models and 12.00 for RGB (has more blink modes).
The RGB has a mode that looks like white until you move it which is sort of interesting and very handy if your flashlight dies away from camp.

Although I prefer to spin heavier poi, these can be used as budget glow poi by adding leashes and handles. They are not quite as high quality as the flowtoys ones, but are less than half the price.

Savannah: I don't know what it is, but no thread here escapes alive. You'll get 1 or 2 real answers at minimum, occasionally 10 or 12, and then we flog it until it's unrecognizable and you can't get your deposit back.